Archive for Customer Service Strategy
3 Things You May Not Know About Customer Experience Leader Zappos.com
I just finished reading Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, Inc. As customer experience experts, Zappos.com was established in 1999 and grew to be a $1 billion company in gross revenue in 10 years. I often refer to Zappos.com when I speak about the customer experience because they get it. They have built a company that is a perfect example of how to sustain growth in business by focusing on these three key areas:
1) Customer Service
2) Culture and Core Values
3) Employee Training and Development
There were several surprises for me in reading this book. My perception of Zappos.com was that they started the business with a customer-service focus, a customer-centric culture, and the best employee training from the get-go. But I was wrong. It evolved as they evolved.
For example, one thing that surprised me is that even though they began the company in 1999, it wasn’t until 2003 when they decided to make customer service the focus of the company. It came about as a result of needing to cut expenses to survive. During that time, they decided to cut their marketing expenses and refocus their efforts on trying to get existing customers to purchase again and more frequently, which resulted in developing a better customer experience.
Another surprise about Zappos.com is that their focus on their culture and core values wasn’t fully established until 2005. The focus began when they moved their call center to Las Vegas. It’s through this move that they realized that their culture was their number one priority, even more than customer service. They believed if they got their culture right, building their brand around customer service would happen naturally.
The last but not least surprise is that most of Zappos.com’s efforts on customer service and the customer experience actually happen after they’ve made the sale. Surprise upgrades to overnight shipping, quick fulfillment due to a 24/7 warehouse operations, and call center employees who focus on the personal connection instead of call handle times are examples of how their service goes beyond the sale. Their goal is to create more and more positive emotional associations with their brand through every interaction with the customer.
Get this book. Whether you are a mom & pop business or a mega business, you will learn how you too can create a company that is fueled by the customer experience for both your internal and external customers.
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Norma, The Loyalty Lady,is an innovative Customer Experience Strategist, Business Coach, Blogger and Speaker. She works with small service businesses to help them build an unprecedented customer experience that will drive customer loyalty and retention. Contact her at [email protected] or by phone at (480) 694-6940. |
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